From Points to Purpose How Loyalty Became the Heart of the Experience Economy

From Points to Purpose.

How Loyalty Became the Heart of the Experience Economy

Loyalty Reimagined

Loyalty is no longer a programme. Loyalty programme experiences are now a platform for culture, storytelling, and emotional equity.
Brands like Emirates are redefining what it means to engage, own, and scale presence through partnerships.
Living Lab designs loyalty strategies rooted in real-world resonance – curated, measurable, and unforgettable.

Simone Esposito Founder Living Lab

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The REINVENTION of Luxury

Loyalty isn’t what it used to be. It’s something far more powerful now: a passport to culture, connection, and unforgettable moments. In an era where the algorithm never sleeps and attention spans flicker like candlelight, loyalty has undergone a quiet revolution.

Once confined to punch cards and points, it has become the new frontier of brand storytelling with loyalty-programme experiences anchored in purpose, and fuelled by passion.

Loyalty today is about emotional equity. We’re not just rewarding customers—we’re inviting them into stories, cultures, and moments that matter.

Mark Alexander CEO Living Lab

Loyalty Has Left the Transactional Building

According to the 2024 Global Loyalty Leaders Survey by Deloitte & GLO, travel brands have pivoted decisively. Budgets for loyalty initiatives are up 22% year-on-year, with strategy shifting from transactional incentives to full-spectrum experience ecosystems.

At Living Lab, we see this as a seismic shift. Loyalty is no longer a backend function—it’s the heartbeat of the brand. Our work with Emirates has shown us just how powerful these programmes can be in terms of keeping demanding customers engaged.

Where once it was about accumulating miles, now it’s about meaning and loyalty programme experiences

Building communities, not just customer bases
Relevance to your customer’s life and happiness
Creating memories, not just metrics
Turning fans into ambassadors

We design loyalty ecosystems that move beyond transactions. When you align purpose with experience, you don’t just engage - you ignite.

Simone Esposito Co Founder Living Lab

Emirates: From Airline to Icon

Take Emirates Skywards, a loyalty programme reborn as a lifestyle engine. The airline’s playbook is bold and brilliant: embed the brand in the arenas of culture, sport, and spectacle.

From Formula 1 to the NBA, SailGP to global gastronomy, Emirates doesn’t merely sponsor – it integrates. The brand becomes part of the cultural moment, part of your journey, and part of who you are when you’re there.

Skywards isn’t just a programme. It’s a portal. And that’s where the future is flying.

The Future: Culture as Currency

Loyalty programmes are evolving into cultural passports. The next frontier? Emotionally resonant experiences that defy commodification,

Live music and intimate festivals
eSport immersions and premium sporting moments
Design-led gastronomy and curated hospitality
Art collaborations and immersive storytelling

This isn’t an aspiration. It’s a strategy. Purpose-led engagement drives long-term value, advocacy, and impact.

At Living Lab, we specialise in designing loyalty ecosystems that go beyond value -they create values. We connect the dots between sectors, geographies, and generations.

Our currency? Cultural fluency, creative risk, and strategic foresight.